1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to instructional devices for improving an individual's bat swing and more particularly to an instructional device that enables an individual to achieve a proper bat swing for improved hitting.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art is replete with diverse apparatus for improving the quality of an individual's bat swing. Examples are shown in the following United States Letters Patent:
4,274,631(1981)Hayazaki6,050,908(2000)Muhlhausen6,565,462(2003)Gregg6,569,042(2003)LaChance et al.6,949,036(2005)Ciesar et al.7,147,580(2006)Nutter et al.7,297,077(2007)Battaglino7,993,219(2011)Whitney et al.8,118,693(2012)Tande8,187,124(2012)Ciesar et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,631 discloses a baseball practice bat that emits a hitting sound upon swinging. The practice bat includes a hollow interior or cavity. A pipe in the cavity extends for essentially the entire length of the bat. Guide slits, formed along the length of the pipe, receive a supporting pin attached to a weight that slides along the pipe. A spring extends inside the pipe from the supporting pin to the handle end of the bat. The handle end may attach to an adjustment mechanism for varying the spring's tension.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,908 and 6,949,036 and 7,147,580 and 7,297,077 disclose bat simulators used for training. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,580 includes a sliding mass that apparently changes the dynamics of the bat but produces no audible sound. None of these references discloses a training aid that has the look and feel of a conventional baseball bat. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,908 and 6,565,462 require that a ball be thrown to the person using the training device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,042 provides speed information, but not all the information necessary to provide proper swing information.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,993,219 to Whitney et al. discloses a bat swing training device that enables the diagnosis and correction of an individual batter's swing. The training device includes a conventional bat modified to receive a training aid at its distal end with either an exposed extended assembly or an embedded assembly. The training aid provides a snapping sound as an individual swings a bat at greater than a predetermined speed. The position of the batter's hands at the time of the snap indicates whether the batter's swing is correct. A restraining structure includes a cartridge and a finger that can release a ring from a cocked position. After a swing, the batter manually displaces the cartridge so that a ring can be returned to its cocked position. It has been found that during practice a batter prefers to make repetitive swings without any further adjustments. However, this bat swing training device requires the batter to manually reset the device by displacing an exposed structure at the end of the bat prior to assuming a batting stance.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,118,693 to Tande and U.S. Pat. No. 8,187,124 to Ciesar et al. disclose practice bats with similar structures. In Tande the practice bat includes an elongated shaft with a free sliding region and first and second damping regions. When the practice bat is swung, a slider and a damper slide to the end of the bat where the slider impacts the damper to indicate swing quality. Ciesar discloses a shaft with first and second handles. The first handle accommodates both of the hitter's hands; the second handle accommodates all the fingers on a hand. During a swing the batter simultaneously moves the second handle to a stop position. Neither practice bat has the structure, appearance and look and feel of a conventional baseball bat.
What is needed is a bat swing training device that has the look, feel and weight of a batter's conventional bat and that eliminates the need for any batter action between practice swings to reset the training device.